A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed on takeoff on Monday at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California's Mojave Desert, bursting into flames and killing all eight crew members aboard, Air Force officials said.
The eight-engine, jet-powered aircraft, built to carry nuclear and conventional bombs, was on a routine test mission when it crashed on the runway at Edwards immediately after leaving the ground, Air Force Colonel James Hayes said at a press conference hours later.
